Of Mothers, Of Fathers
by Lord Archive
Summary: Ranma and Akane are now married, and they begin a new adventure in life together. Yet things do not go as planned as magic and curses warp their lives. (Technically a sequel to Nekoken is Out of the Bag. Incomplete series)
1. Sexual Exploration

**Of Mothers, Of Fathers**

**Prologue: Sexual Explorations**

_By: Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

While this is technically a sequel to 'Nekoken is Out of the Bag?!,' it is not necessary to read that series to understand what is going on here.

This series contains questionable content and sexual situations that go far beyond Rumiko Takahashi's original intent, not ending with female Ranma having sex with a rather male Akane.

This is an incomplete series and is unlikely to be finished any time soon. It was posted to better complete Nekoken.

* * *

Akane sighed, still wearing her white Chinese dress she wore for her wedding and was standing at the registration desk of a mountain-side inn. This would be the place that she was going to spend the next two weeks with Ranma at. The resort she'll always associate with her honeymoon. Less than two weeks shy of being seventeen and she was married. Married to someone her father had chosen for her. Well, she could've gotten out of it, but realized a while ago she didn't want to get out of marrying him.

"Saotome-san," someone called, looking as if it wasn't the first time he said it. "Saotome-san," the person called again, waving his hand in front of Akane.

Akane looked at the hotel clerk strangely for a second, and then realized what the problem was. "Ah, yes..."

"You're room is ready," the clerk said handing Akane keys to her room. "I was going to ask you if you actually wanted the honeymoon suite, but I can see you do."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Akane asked.

The clerk shifted uneasily. "Well, seeing as you didn't answer to your name, I thought..."

Akane laughed a little nervously. "That I'm not use to my new name. You're right."

The clerk looked a little relieved as he thought for a second he might have made a mistake. "Thought so. Newlywed wives tend to have either that problem or are a bit too enthusiastic to answer to their married name. It can be sickening to see a girl go on with their new name, 'Yep! That's me! Fujizawa-san!' I'm still trying to figure out where all the water that flooded that couple's room came from." He said the last part more to himself, than to Akane.

Akane had giggled at the clerk's impersonation, but paled slightly at the flooded room comment. She hoped whatever caused that wasn't going to happen while she was there. "Do you have clues how that happened?"

The clerk shook his head. "The only oddity reported was that there seemed to be a fight between the two before the room flooded and the bride screaming something about him doing some mountain climbing."

Akane sighed. If that girl was anything like her friends, the flooded room might've been caused by her, at least that's what she hoped. "Thanks for you're help," Akane said politely to the clerk. She then walked over to the lounge area. "Our room is ready," she said in a sualtry tone.

Ranma, still wearing the white suit he wore for the wedding, looked up at her from the couch for one second, and the next he was standing up holding all of their luggage. "Lead the way."

Akane shook her head as she guided her new husband to their room. Once inside he deposited their luggage and went to pull her into a hug, but she stepped aside.

Ranma looked at his new wife in confusion, especially as she took a fighting stance. "Huh?"

"Anything Goes Martial Arts Stripping," Akane intoned.

Ranma grinned. "I'll have you naked in seconds."

"Rip the dress and I'll kill you," Akane threatened.

Ranma frowned. "Guess I could use a handicap to make it more fair."

Akane scowled before making a lunge for her husband's suit jacket. She managed to only pop a couple buttons off it. She spun around with a grin as he hadn't even touched her dress. She then blinked at the panties dangling from his finger. "Huh?"

"First time using one of Happosai's tricks," Ranma commented.

Akane clenched her fists, only now realizing those were the panties she had been wearing.

"Thought you would of had a strapless bra on," Ranma added.

Akane charged like a bull only to completely missed as he side-stepped her attack. She quickly spun around and the white socks she had on seconds before bounced off her head. Now the only thing she was wearing was the white silken dress. She was going to take something off him before she was naked!

Ranma didn't dodge as Akane went for his pants. A loud rip echoed as his wife literally tore them off his body.

"Got your pants!" Akane cheered.

"Damn, it ripped. Kasumi should be able to fix it," Ranma noted holding up his wife's wedding dress.

Akane threw the pieces of his suit pants at him and then tackled him to the bed. "You're going to pay for that."

Ranma hugged his wife. "I'm all yours."

"Yes, you are," Akane agreed. 'Losing' the challenge wasn't so bad. She did eventually strip him naked while making love for the first time as husband and wife. She then frowned as her new husband rolled over sleepily and closed his eyes. This was her wedding night! She wanted it to be the best day of sex in her life. She grinned as she got an idea that would certainly wake him up. She pulled free of the bed and went into the bathroom and got a cup of cold water which she wasted no time splashing her new spouse with.

"Gah! That's cold!" Ranma sputtered.

"Don't worry, dear Husband, I know a way to get you warm," Akane said throatily, draping herself over her spouse, the cold water raising goosebumps on her own skin. Her hands framed Ranma's face, as she moved in for a kiss that left them both breathless, and definitely ready for more.

Ranma's hands caressed her wife's back, traveling down to the smooth curves of her rear, squeezing gently in rhythm to Akane's caressing. Both began moaning, as they gave their passions free rein.

"Oh, my husband," purred Akane into her spouse's ear. "Or should I say... my wife..."

Ranma immediately shoved her wife off the bed.

Akane jumped to her feet. "What was that for?"

"I'm a guy, Akane! I'm your husband! I don't turn into a girl for the fun of it, you know!" Ranma spat out indignantly.

Akane was upset with the turn the evening was taking and with herself for making a comment she should have known would cause Ranma to react violently. She knew very well her man amongst men husband hated being referred to as a girl by anyone, and she was no exception. Still he had certainly over reacted and shouldn't have pushed her like that. "It was a JOKE, Ranma. Just a joke."

"Well, it wasn't a joke to me!" Ranma shot back. "You hated it every time I called you uncute, tomboy, or whatever else I called you! I don't like this curse! And with all the times you called me a pervert because of it, I don't know how you can turn around and just expect me to act as if it were _normal_!"

How could he do that? How could he _say_ that after all they had been through together? "Because I love you, you stupid jerk!" Akane cried out, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks. "When Shampoo sent you into the Nekoken, and you ended up... mating with me, you asked me why I didn't blame you, why I didn't chase you off. I said it to you then, and I'll say it now! I love YOU! What happened that night happened because you loved me. In the beginning, before I knew you loved me, before I knew I loved you, your curse was an excuse for me to try to end the engagement. But we do love each other! I married Ranma Saotome, curse and all, not just a some _guy_!"

If anything could make Ranma stop in his tracks, it was a woman's tears, particularly Akane's. He felt awful. He'd done just what Akane had always done to him, take a more or less innocent comment and blown it out of proportion. "I, uh, I mean..." Head bowed, staring at her feet, she was at loss for something to say.

"At the beginning, it did matter. It did bother me a lot. But I'd never known you any other way, Ranma. I-I might have said when we first met that I hated boys, but that didn't mean I liked girls. But the longer you lived with us, the more I saw that man _or_ woman, you were the same obnoxious jerk you always were."

"Gee, thanks a lot Akane. That makes me feel _so_ much better," muttered Ranma sarcastically, still not able to look her wife in the eyes, fearing to see her pain.

"But with the full body cat tongue, and when Herb trapped you in your cursed body, I kept seeing you as a guy in my mind when I thought about you. I kept thinking, what would happen? What would we do if you were never able to change back? I guess those times I actually thought about what it would be like, to... hug, or kiss a... girl." Akane moved to tentatively embrace her spouse making her husband look her in the eyes. "Your girl side is as much a part of you to me as... as... your pigtail!"

"I'm sorry Akane. I-I shouldn't have gotten upset. I should have known you were teasing. It's just that I've always been scared that I'd wake up one day, and find I was attracted to guys. I-I don't think I could take that if it ever happened. Maybe you got used to me changing, but believe me, you don't get used to a Jusenkyo curse. Every time you change to the curse's form and and back you notice. I can't describe what it feels like... it's like... a twisting, swelling, shrinking. Only someone who has a curse knows what it's like," Ranma muttered out.

Akane blinked. There was a way for her to know what it felt like. What better way would there be to find out. It may not have been the intent of Shampoo's gift, but it would work. She leapt away from her spouse and rifled through her suitcase.

Ranma looked at her strangely. "Akane, what are you looking for?"

"Oh, just something Shampoo gave me before the wedding," Akane replied.

Ranma was definitely puzzled, but figured he'd know soon enough.

"Aha!" cried Akane triumphantly, holding a small paper packet up.

The packet looked rather familiar to Ranma and a considering what they had been talking about... "That wouldn't be..."

Akane nodded firmly. "Yup! Instant Jusenkyo Curse."

"No! Absolutely not!" shouted Ranma. "It's bad enough I have to go through with this, there is no reason for you..."

Akane waved her finger at her. "Oh, but there is a reason. You said it yourself, 'Only someone who's cursed, knows what it's like.' It's only temporary, anyway."

Ranma was flabbergasted. "You'd do something like that for me?"

Akane smiled at her and nodded.

Ranma bowed her head. Could she even do that if she had been in Akane's shoes? Would she have been able to see through the curse to the person inside? Her wife saw her as a man no matter what she looked like. Could she accept Akane... even if her spouse was... a guy? She shuddered involuntarily. "Not tonight."

Akane nodded. "Definitely not. I'll just go and hide this, then we'll go back to where we were before I opened my big mouth."

Ranma let out a weak laugh. "You said it, not me."

* * *

Ranma sighed, stroking his sleeping wife's hair. His mind going over the past year. He wanted to kick himself for being such a jerk for so long to Akane, and for all the times he mistreated her. He shuddered uncontrollably remembering how they had lost their virginity. He still couldn't believe she could just accept what had happened. She didn't even blame him for hurting her. His cat side just reacted naturally to his feelings. Yet he could never forget that her first sexual experience was being raped. He couldn't even remember losing his virginity to her.

Ranma pouted as he held her tighter. While his wife may have forgiven him, he would never be able to forgive himself. He would never be able to give her the experience she should have. To lose her virginity to the one she loved while making love. It certainly hadn't been an act of pleasure that terrible night, having sex thrust on her when she didn't want it.

Akane shifted in her sleep, her hand landing between his legs, causing him to blush.

The girl in Ranma's arms had called him a pervert countless times, yet being lovers now, despite what happened, was her idea. He had to wonder if the reason why she had called him a pervert was because she could not accept her own sexual thoughts at the time. She certainly wasted no time making love to him while he was a girl.

Ranma frowned deeply. He couldn't deny the pleasure he felt in making love to Akane as girl, and being made love to in return. But every time he did so, the thought nagged him, 'Does this mean I'm less than a man?' He loved Akane, and wanted to be a complete man for her. Yet there seemed to be no cure. Even when it was right in front of him, an end to the curse was denied to him.

Ranma looked over at Akane's luggage, suspecting the packet of instant nannichuan had been hidden there. He could not give her back her virginity... but... maybe... he could let her first time as a guy be of love.

* * *

Akane awoke to the sound of someone knocking at the door, and saw Ranma answer it. She smiled slightly at the sight of room service. Days of excessive, if there was such a thing, love-making can make one rather hungry, in more ways than one.

Ranma gave a tip to the hotel clerk, and pulled the meal cart towards the table. He started to put the breakfast he ordered on the table when two arms wrapped around him.

"Happy birthday," Akane said before kissing her husband.

"Thanks," Ranma said. "So what else did ya get me?" he added jokingly.

"You'll have to wait until later to find out, but one of my presents for you today is that I want to make you a woman."

"T-that's a present?!" he stammered.

"Aren't you at least a little interested?" Akane questioned.

"Honestly... not at all," Ranma muttered out.

Akane pouted. "Why not? We'd be only people who can honestly answer the question of which is better, as a guy or as a girl."

Ranma folded his arms. "Because I'm a guy and don't need to know if it's better for girls or not."

Akane let out a sigh. "I think that's something I won't understand until I try it out myself."

"You'll regret it," Ranma warned before stuffing his mouth full of food.

"Why would I?" Akane wondered, taking her first bites of breakfast as well.

Ranma picked at some of the food. "I can't begin to explain how wrong it feels to look in a mirror and see a face that is not your own."

"Yet until I do that I won't know how you feel," Akane retorted. "I need to see what it's like, not just for you, but for me. I have to know what it's like so I can better understand you."

"If you want to know what it's like to have a different face, just put on a costume or something," Ranma suggested.

"That's not even a half measure as it would still be me, my body. I'd rather go through this half-measure of a temporary curse than deal with the real thing. This way I don't just look different, it will _feel_ different," Akane insisted.

Ranma did not offer any reply, instead he buried his face into the food while wishing his wife wasn't so stubborn.

"Ready for desert?" Akane asked after they had finished eating.

Despite her suggesting after breakfast fun, Ranma was the one in control of their love making. She made no protest as he played with body. She didn't even make a any protest of 'wrong hole' as he plundered her rear for the first time. The lack of lubrication became painfully evident, yet Akane only bit into a pillow to keep from crying out.

Ranma panted, enjoying the feeling of taking his wife's final virginity. "How did ya like that?"

"I didn't... That hurt," Akane answered, a little pained.

Ranma practically jumped away from Akane. He looked down at himself and was more sickened at the sight of blood than her shit. "I... I'm sorry... I didn't..."

Akane carefully moved to sit facing Ranma. "It's all right. I wanted to try that out sometime myself."

"You weren't thinkin' of doing that when were both guys, were you?" Ranma asked suspiciously.

Akane looked away. "Well, maybe..."

"Akane, I'm a guy. I may have agreed to 'switch roles,' but there ain't no way you or anyone else will EVER get me to go guy-to-guy," Ranma snarled angrily.

Akane nodded shallowly. "You've convinced me. I don't want to... feel you there and I don't want to hurt you. Now go wash yourself. Then we'll experiment my way."

Ranma quickly did as he was told, washing not just his dick but everything else as well. After rinsing himself off with cold water, she made no move to turn herself back into a guy.

Akane entered the bathing room, and cleaned herself as well. She was starting to get hot with thoughts of what she was going to do soon. She quickly cleaned and rinsed herself off.

"Akane, are you sure you want ta do this?" Ranma asked.

"Yes, Ranma. I'm sure." Akane got up to get the instant nannichuan from where she hid it. She then picked up the wash bucket, and filled it with water. She tore open the instant nannichaun, and let the contents cascade into it. She then picked up the bucket, and slowly raised it over her head. She swallowed nervously, suddenly unsure if she could go through with it. This was not just to see what it's like to have sex as a guy. This was to see what it's like to be cursed. With that resolved in her mind, she dumped the bucket over her head.

The water cascading over her body felt like she was struck by lightning, as the CHANGE washed over her. Ranma had not been kidding about being unable to describe what it felt like.

Akane looked at herself in the mirror. She was now taller, muscular, definitely, positively, _unmistakably_ male. And it scared her more than anything she had yet experienced.

"Ran-Ranma?" Even her voice had changed as she... HE should've realized. He was a guy now, even though he was really a girl, born a girl.

Akane began to shake with the realization of what the nature of the curse was. To become something that you had never been, had no wish to become, to CHANGE any time water of the correct temperature came in contact with you. Tears began to roll down his cheeks. This was what Ranma went through. All the times she callously threw water on him, splashed him, felt satisfaction at his cry of 'What did you that for?!' She was suddenly surprised he didn't hate her.

Ranma looked on, concerned, nervously approaching her now rather manly wife. This was the moment of truth. Could she do her part? Accept Akane as she was, this minute? The man in front of her, was Akane, her _wife_, no matter what she looked like. Part of Ranma rebelled, a voice shouted in her mind that this was a guy, and that she was a guy! She was not GAY! Yet she managed to ignore that. Her _wife_ was in front of her.

Akane trembled even stronger as his spouse put her arms around him. "Ranma, I'm sorry! I didn't know..."

Ranma shook her head, putting a finger on his lips. "Akane, it's all right. You couldn't have known."

Akane put his arms around the beautiful woman in front of him that was his husband.

Ranma tentatively raised a hand to Akane's male face, stroking it, following the tear tracks with a finger. "Was it hard for you, Akane? I mean to accept my curse?"

"Well, I told you it was hard in the beginning. And I didn't really accept the idea of making love to you, cursed form or otherwise, until after Jusendo. Though after Ryugenzawa, I did think a lot about it," Akane admitted.

Ranma swallowed. What she wanted to say next was setting off all kinds reactions in her, anticipation, disgust, fear, and love. The love she felt for Akane. She had her arms around her spouse, never mind the fact that her wife was male at the moment. Yet, in the end she said nothing in words, but in action. She accepted this man that she had never seen before as her beloved, just as he had accepted her as both a man and a woman.

* * *

Ranma wearily woke up, saw the naked guy sleeping in his bed and reacted before sleep had cleared her mind. She screamed and fell out of bed.

The man sat up and looked at the prone, naked woman. "Ranma?"

"Talk about living a nightmare," Ranma muttered as she stood up. "Sorry, wasn't awake and well..."

Akane was about to ask what the girl meant by 'living a nightmare,' but in shifting position on the bed, a stab of pain from below the waist told HIM exactly what the girl had feared.

"How did you hurt yourself?" Ranma wondered.

"You're use to being a guy, I'm not. I didn't know a guy could pinch his own balls just by moving," Akane muttered.

Ranma smirked. "Yeah, I guess since you never had nuts hanging between your legs. Had some issues like that when I first became a girl. I certainly didn't know how much a pain big tits could be. You'll get use to it after a while and won't accidentally hurt yourself."

Akane pouted. "Don't want to get use to this. Being in a body like this is... wrong on so many levels."

Ranma grinned. "Told ya you would regret it."

Akane poked the girl. "I don't regret it. It may feel wrong, but without experiencing what this was like, I wouldn't have known how much I've been hurting you. I promise I'll never splash water on you or call you a girl ever again."

Ranma grabbed the offending finger. "Don't make promises you can't keep. You'll get angry and want to hurt me and now you know sometimes hitting me with a bucket of water hurt worse than if you had kicked me in the balls instead."

"I mean it, I won't do it!" Akane vowed.

Ranma shook her head. "I promised Kasumi to stop insulting your cooking more than once. You've seen how far that got me. I may not make fun of it often, but when I'm upset..."

Akane pouted. "I'm not you."

"We'll see," Ranma retorted. She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on this. "Well, if you want to truly experience the curse, I say we should go out on the town."

Akane blinked. "Why?"

"You certainly felt the change and the body, but there's more to it than that. You haven't had girls flirt with you, or anything else guys deal with," Ranma pointed out.

Akane shrugged. "Why not? Though I'm going to need to borrow your clothes."

Ranma nodded with a smirk. "Of course."

Akane put on the boxers and silk black pants after adjusting them for his bigger waist and ankles. The shirt was more of an issue.

"What's wrong?" Ranma wondered.

"My shoulders are too broad and they're tight around my abs," Akane explained.

Ranma pouted as she put on her Chinese worker outfit she sometimes wore. "Be thankful I'm not really a girl."

Akane blinked in confusion. "Why's that?"

Ranma poked the guy's firm, six-pack, stomach. "You just said you're more of a guy than me. I'm not going to attack you like when you attacked me when your clothes didn't fit me right."

Akane blinked. "Ah... right... Aren't you going to change into a guy?"

"Two guys coming from a honeymoon resort? Yeah, right," Ranma groused. "They would think we're perverts."

Akane smirked. "Isn't that my line? I certainly see the point."

* * *

How Ranma didn't hate him, Akane would never know. There really was more to the curse than she had ever considered. And it wasn't just having girls openly flirting at him. Having to use a public restroom was an adventure in itself. And unlike Ranma using a girl's bathroom, where other women desperate keep their modesty from each other, guys held no such concerns. The open urinals and lack of doors to the toilet stalls left him staring a tad much, which resulted in one guy trying to pound him and another wanting a date. Those two ended up fighting each other instead.

Anyone who ever said there's little difference between guys and girls does not have a clue how wrong they are. And he only had a taste of it. One day in the world as a guy was enough for him. And like all other decisions in his life, they didn't exactly go as planned. While wanting to remain a guy for a good portion of the honeymoon as this was only a one-shot deal, he had planned to spend his time with his spouse in their room. Money concerns and Ranma's appetite had them going to town for cheaper fare than the resort offered. And her spouse certainly got some justified revenge at his discomfort. One girl wouldn't leave him alone, even after telling her he was married.

It had been the better part of a week, and now he was more than ready to return to being a girl. Washing himself clean and then tenderly and carefully easing himself into the hot water of the bath. There were no words to convey the relief she felt returning to her real body. She was once again a girl.

"Thought we'd take THIS bath together," Ranma noted groggily as she leaned against the bathroom door.

"Didn't want to wake you," Akane returned.

Ranma shrugged. "Ya made me miss seeing you return to being my wife."

"I'm always your wife, just as you're always my husband, even when you look like that," Akane retorted.

Ranma went through the motions of cleaning herself before easing herself into the bath. The hot water was great in easing the tired muscles made sore from excessive lovemaking, if there was ever such a thing. A good hot bath was truly the answer to everything.

Akane's eyes were wide. Her hand emerged from the water pointing.

Ranma looked at her quizzically. "What?"

"You... you're still a girl..." Akane squeaked out.

Ranma looked down and saw she indeed still had a big chest. Her mouth opened to let out an anguished scream of horror.

Akane leapt from the bathtub and tripped over the edge, landing face first into a wash bucket still filled with cold water.

Ranma screamed again.

Akane looked down and saw he was now a man. He then joined his spouse in letting out a scream as well.

* * *

Author's Notes:

This chapter was mostly written back in May 1998 with help from Delta and Outlaender. It had just needed a bit of fleshing out and editing to make it fit with the rest of the series.


	2. WHAT?

**Of Mothers, Of Fathers**

_By: Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

While this is technically a sequel to 'Nekoken is Out of the Bag?!,' it is not necessary to read that series to understand what is going on here.

While I am working on finishing the first few chapters, this is still an incomplete series and is unlikely to be finished any time soon. It was posted to better complete Nekoken.

* * *

**Chapter 1 - WHAT?!**

* * *

The rain poured down on the inhabitants of Nerima as two people, who had a very good reason to be out in this weather, approached Dr. Tofu's clinic.

Dr. Tofu raised an eyebrow when he heard a knock at the door. His clinic wasn't going to be opened for another hour. He opened the door and was surprised to see Ranma in female form with some guy there. He thought it was odd that the guy seemed somewhat familiar despite that he had never seen a guy with natural looking blue hair before.

Ranma looked at Dr. Tofu with obvious fear in her eyes. "Doc, we need your help."

"Certainly," Dr. Tofu said as he ushered the two of them inside. He was certainly concerned considering Ranma was suppose to be on his honeymoon with Akane.

Dr. Tofu was about to ask about Akane when Ranma blurted out, "Somehow Akane took my curse, and I'm stuck like this!"

Dr. Tofu blinked. He really hoped he didn't hear what he thought he just heard. "Akane?"

The guy nodded. "Yes."

Dr. Tofu was VERY worried about this. He didn't know of any means to transfer a Jusenkyo curse. He led them into the examination room. He handed the guy hot water from a teakettle. Dr. Tofu watched carefully as the guy upended the water over himself, and turned into Akane. Ranma also took some hot water, but it only added more water to her already soaked body.

Akane quickly readjusted her clothes to keep them from falling.

"Can you tell me how this might have happened?" Dr. Tofu requested.

"Well, um..." Ranma began uneasily. "Shampoo gave Akane some instant spring of drowned man as a wedding present. About a week ago, she used it. That's the only unusual thing that's happened." Her face turning deep red.

Dr. Tofu was more than a bit surprised at hearing that. He never thought... "How long did she remain a man and you a girl?"

"We were going to change back yesterday, but I didn't change and she turned back into a guy when she got wet," Ranma quickly replied.

Dr. Tofu took a moment to think. When Akane was drowned at Jusenkyo a couple months ago, it could have left her predisposed to picking up a curse. It may not be permanent either. But why would Ranma be stuck as a girl? He don't see how that could be connected to the instant spring... The only reason he could think of would be... oh, boy. The doctor became rather pale at the thought.

"Dr. Tofu, do you know what's wrong?" Akane asked.

"I... I might have an idea. I'd like to run some tests." Dr. Tofu prayed he was wrong. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk with Cologne about this. She may know what the problem is."

"Sure," Ranma replied.

* * *

Dr. Tofu sat in his office, waiting for the test results. Ranma and Akane were still in the examination room. Since he was waiting, now would be a good time to call Cologne, but he was sure he didn't want the answer she'd give him. He reluctantly picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello. Thanks for calling Nekohanten, how may I serve you?" answered Cologne from the other end.

"Hello, Cologne, this is Dr. Tofu. I need to ask you some things regarding Jusenkyo curses," Dr. Tofu requested.

"Oh, and what is it you want to know?" Cologne asked with a touch of curiosity to her voice.

"Can the curse be transferred with the use of say... instant spring of drowned man?" Dr. Tofu asked with some hope.

"I've never heard of that happening." Cologne sounded very interested.

"Then, um, how could someone end up trapped in their cursed form?" Dr. Tofu questioned nervously.

"There are many possible ways for that to happen," Cologne replied.

"Can you tell me some of the biological reasons?" Dr. Tofu pressed.

"Well, if the person has a disease that cools the skin to the point where any water that touches it would be too cold to trigger the change. There are certain ways chi can be manipulated that could prevent changing," Cologne explained.

"What about..." Dr. Tofu whispered the next word to make sure Ranma and Akane weren't listening in.

* * *

A moment later in the waiting room, Ranma and Akane heard what sounded like Cologne laughing from Dr. Tofu's office.

Several minutes later, Dr. Tofu entered the examination room. He was extremely nervous. He doubted they were going to take this well. Cologne's response on the phone only added to what he thought was the reason Ranma hadn't transformed back into a guy. The test he ran wasn't the most accurate, but it agreed with his suspicion.

Dr. Tofu gathered up his courage to tell them. For some reason, he felt he rather tell them someone died than this. He also knew subtlety in approaching this would be lost on them, he had to come out and say it. "Ranma... I've discovered why you can't change back. The reason is because you're... pregnant."

"I... I'M WHAT?!" Ranma's scream momentarily lifted the roof off the clinic.

"Wha... you can't mean..." Akane stammered, her face was as pale as a ghost.

Dr. Tofu placed his hand on Ranma's shoulder. "I ran a test and conferred with Cologne, and the results pointed to one possibility, that you are pregnant."

"I can't be pregnant! I'M A GUY!" Ranma yelled, shaking like a leaf in a typhoon.

Dr. Tofu knew that the quicker Ranma accepted it, the better. "I'm sorry, Ranma, but the test results came up positive. You are pregnant."

Ranma's face was locked in unimaginable horror. She stared at Dr. Tofu, wanting him to say it was joke. The sad eyes of the doctor told her it wasn't.

Akane could not believe what she just heard, but knew Dr. Tofu well enough to know he wouldn't joke about this. She collapsed into a chair. "I... I'm going to be a mother...no a FATHER?!" Her mind threatened to take a vacation.

"No," came from Ranma's lips like a whisper. "No," she said weakly. "No," she repeated disbelievingly. "NO!" Ranma screamed at the top of her lungs and ran out of the clinic.

Akane, startled by the outburst, chased after Ranma.

* * *

A man walked through the pouring rain. He didn't care about the rain. It meant nothing to him. What did mean something to him had been stripped from his hands forever. There was something else that mattered to him, that may still be available to him, but it was of little comfort to him at the moment. He just walked through the rain lost to his own world.

He was startled when a girl with a pigtail ran into him. She was crying and saying things incoherently, "How can I be... I was the groom... I'm a guy... how can I be... pregnant?..."

The man instinctively gave the girl a little hug. He wanted to do more, but, somehow, it seemed wrong at the moment. What the girl said made little sense. He was stunned when she said she was pregnant.

"Ranma?" another guy called, approaching them.

"Go away," Ranma cried.

"Ranma, I'm not leaving you," the guy insisted.

Ranma turned around. "Akane... how could you do this to me?!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't think this could happen!" Akane retorted.

Ranma collapsed to her knees. "How can you mess this up? I was the groom, and you the bride. I'm supposed to get you pregnant. Can't you even get that straight?"

"Ranma, you didn't object to this before. You could've reminded me that you have periods too. That we should've used protection," Akane pointed out defensively.

Ranma ignored him. "How can you be such a macho chick to get ME pregnant?!"

Akane's fists clenched as he stomped on the ground. "Idiot! I didn't think it was possible!"

"You're the idiot! You got your husband pregnant!" Ranma yelled back.

Akane would've been more upset at Ranma if she didn't look so miserable. The sight of his spouse shivering and curled up into a ball, made him feel terrible. He bent down and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, Ranma. I'm so sorry. I wish I was the one who got pregnant."

Ranma hugged the guy even tighter, crying, "Akane, how... how could you? How could you be that much of a tomboy?"

The man that Ranma had run into was in a state of shock. Well, he'd been in shock since Nabiki informed him that Ranma and Akane had gotten married. The argument he watched was somewhat familiar to him, but the parts being played didn't seem to fit. The guy played the role of Akane, and the pig-tailed girl was Ranma? "Wha... What sorcery..." he stammered.

Akane looked up and saw Kuno staring at him. "K-Kuno-sempai..."

The man knew of him... Was it his fame... or did Saotome truly dabble in sorcery... "A-Akane?"

Akane blinked, and then nodded. "Yes, Kuno-sempai, I'm Akane. And she really is Ranma."

"How can this be? That vile cretin to use such horrid magic..." Kuno began his angry rant.

"Kuno-sempai!" Akane interrupted. "I got a hold of some magic and did this to myself. Ranma has nothing to do with the fact I turn into a guy with cold water. I really don't have time to explain everything to you. I need to get my husband back to Dr. Tofu's to discuss his pregnancy." He picked up his spouse, and ran off.

Kuno stood with a blank expression on his face. He could not believe what just happened. Part of him wanted to forget it, to toss it aside as one of Saotome's tricks. Another part decided to hold onto it, because the idea of the man who took away his loves had gotten pregnant was just too good to let go.

* * *

Dr. Tofu breathed a sigh of relief as Akane carried Ranma into the clinic. "Is Ranma physically all right?" He asked, knowing that his patient wasn't currently of the best mental health.

Akane nodded.

Dr. Tofu guided back into the examining room. He ran a few cursory examinations to check Ranma's feminine health. He then turned his attention to examining Akane. He used what limited knowledge he had on magic to try to determine anything about her spring of drown man curse, but was coming up blank. Studying the chi lines of Akane in her male form troubled Dr. Tofu, they were a bit too stable so soon after receiving a transformational curse.

"What a lovely couple," the Amazon elder said, barely suppressing her amusement with the situation in front of her. Cologne's favorite type of jokes were ironies and the newlywed Saotome couple were shining examples. A girl who hotly denied her tomboy nature had gotten her man amongst men husband pregnant.

"Do ya know how ta fix this mess?" Ranma meekly asked.

"Well, daughter," Cologne began sarcastically. "I'm not a miracle worker, and you two have gotten yourself into a lot of trouble. All I can do is explain the situation."

"So what do we do?" Akane asked.

"You're going to be parents," Cologne replied simply.

"Can't I get an abortion?" Ranma asked.

"Only if you want to stay a girl. Your curse is locked and you'll only be able to change back into a man if you either give birth or miscarriage naturally," Cologne informed.

"There are ways to induce 'natural' miscarriage," Dr. Tofu offered.

"Remember, Doctor, that we are dealing with magic, and magic will often defy logic. A cursed individual who intends to cause a 'natural' miscarriage will still be locked, unless the intent is to stay a girl and then the lock is removed," Cologne intoned. "It's called a curse for a reason."

"So you're saying..." Ranma began to ask.

"You will soon be a mother, Ranma. Congratulations." Cologne grinned.

"Isn't there anything I can do?!" Ranma screamed.

"I'm sorry to say, but there is no other option. Many ancient Amazons and Musk have tried and failed," Cologne told her firmly.

"Y-you're lying! I can't become a mother! I CAN'T!" Ranma broke down and cried into her wife's massive male chest.

Akane tried to sooth his pregnant husband, but he really wished he could wake up from this nightmare, especially considering his dreams weren't this weird.

* * *

To say Ukyou wasn't feeling very well would be an understatement. While she had given up on marrying Ranma, it still hurt watching him get married to Akane. She still couldn't believe how stupid she was in getting drunk at the wedding reception, and then doing... THAT after it.

To top off her emotional pain, she felt like she had the flu.

Ukyou laid in bed, not really wanting to move. She glared at the person who wandered into her room.

Ryoga stammered, "Err... sorry. Trying to find the bathroom."

Ukyou didn't bother to say anything, giving him directions was pointless.

Ryoga was thankful that Ukyou allowed him to stay last night despite what happened between them after the wedding reception. He still hadn't quite come to terms with it. Ryoga noticed the unhealthy color of Ukyou's face. "Ukyou, are you all right?"

"No, I think I got the flu," she muttered.

"Perhaps you should go see a doctor," Ryoga suggested.

Ukyou was about to refuse but the queasiness of her stomach decided to have it's say as she threw up into her trash can. After a moment, she said, "Maybe I should."

Ukyou quickly prepared to leave, and made an appointment with Dr. Tofu.

Ryoga walked with her towards the clinic, using his umbrella to keep both of them dry. As things happen with Jusenkyo curses, a strong gust of wind sent enough water to transform him.

"Bweep," Ryoga cursed.

Ukyou looked at him in disgust. She picked him up and his clothes, but failed to completely lift his umbrella off the ground. "What's this thing made of? It weighs a ton." She didn't feel well enough to fight gravity and gave up using it. She proceeded to walk the rest of the way there.

* * *

Ranma's crying finally began to subside. She hated feeling this weak, this out of control. But what happened took away everything she once held as important, her manhood. She could almost feel her phantom manliness between her legs, but other feminine parts were real and wouldn't let her forget their existence. Ranma grabbed at what remained of her pride and quipped, "What a great birthday present for you. Surprise, you're going to be a father."

Akane closed her eyes, feeling as if she was just stabbed by her husband. Ranma's birthday had been a week ago and one of the 'presents' was to make her spouse a woman. If she hadn't been so insistent, the girl in her arms wouldn't be pregnant.

"I'll let Dr. Tofu explain what you'll experience during you're pregnancy, but you should know that the lock on the curse won't lift until about a month after you give birth when a specific chemical balance is reached and unlocks it." Cologne turned to Akane. "As for you, it was foolish of you to mess around with such things. The instant packets even carry a warning on the back written in six languages, including Japanese, that it sometimes causes someone to become cursed."

"Sort of missed that," Akane grumbled. "Will it eventually wear off?"

"You'll need waters from spring of drowned girl or your own pool to be cured," Cologne replied.

"Fat chance of that happening any time soon. Jusenkyo ain't going to let you be cured until it's done with you," Ranma muttered out.

The door to the clinic opened and Ukyou entered while holding P-Chan.

Dr. Tofu set a teakettle on the burner before approaching the door. "Ah, Kuonji-san, here already?"

"We're not here," Ranma hissed out.

It was too late as Ukyou entered the examination area. She frowned. "Hello, Ranma, Akane. Why are you both back already?"

Ranma didn't say a word.

Akane shifted uneasily. "It's kind of... complicated... Why are you here?"

"Flu," Ukyou replied simply.

"It would've been better that you stayed home until this weather passes," Dr. Tofu noted.

"I need to run my business. Best to nip any bug before it gets out of hand," Ukyou replied.

The piglet saw a teakettle on a burner and made a jump for it. He landed on the nozzle causing it to flip, launching the still unheated contents over Akane.

"BUKWEEP?!" the piglet's curse summed up everyone's thoughts.

"Did you try to cure Ranma and end up cursed yourself?" Ukyou wondered.

Akane shook her head. "I REALLY don't want to explain how this happened."

Cologne smirked. "Akane got it into her foolish head to make Ranma a woman, and in the process cursed herself and knocked up her husband."

P-chan eyes went wide and promptly passed out.

"Well, shit, Sugar, you asked for that one. Playing around with magic the way Ranma's life works is just asking for trouble," Ukyou groused.

Cologne gazed at the girl and held up a glowing crystal. "While I am sure that you do have the flu, as such symptoms would be too soon, I thought you should know this little gem I brought to confirm Ranma's blessing is reacting to you as well."

Akane and Ranma stared at the okonomiyaki chef.

Ukyou eyes went wide. "What are you saying?"

"You're pregnant as well," Cologne informed.

Ukyou picked up the out of it piglet and tossed him into the air as she proceeded to send him flying through a wall and into the sky with her combat spatula while screaming, "YOU FUCKING JACKASS!"

* * *

Author's Note:

This series deals with the one topic that Rumiko-sama said that Rumiko Takahashi didn't want to think about and said that we shouldn't think about it either, a pregnant Ranma. I'm very sorry, but Archive I'm an intellectual pervert. I have thought about it, and felt it would make a very interesting story. I hope this does not offend her nor any fans of the Ranma 1/2 series.


	3. Shattered Lives

**Of Mothers, Of Fathers**

_By: Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

While this is technically a sequel to 'Nekoken is Out of the Bag?!,' it is not necessary to read that series to understand what is going on here.

While I am working on finishing the first few chapters, this is still an incomplete series and is unlikely to be finished any time soon. It was posted to better complete Nekoken.

* * *

** Chapter 2 - Shattered Lives**

* * *

Kasumi was a little surprised to hear the front door open. She didn't expect any one to be visiting this early in the day, especially considering Ranma and Akane were still on their honeymoon and it was raining rather hard now. A frown formed on her face when she heard female Ranma sadly call, "We're home." They were a couple days early which meant something went wrong. She grabbed a teakettle and went to greet them at the door.

Kasumi stopped cold when she saw Ranma, Ukyou, and some guy with blue hair. She held out the kettle for Ranma to take, and nervously asked, "Where's Akane?"

Ranma hesitated before taking the teakettle and handed it to the man.

With a sigh, the guy took the kettle and poured it over himself. "I'm here, Kasumi," Akane said from where the man had stood a second before.

"Oh, gods!" Kasumi gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

Everyone followed Ranma to the dining room where the remaining members of the Saotome and Tendo clans were eating breakfast. The girl took one look at Nodoka before latching desperately to her mother while sobbing hard.

This startled everyone in the room. No one thought Ranma would ever cry like that.

"Ranma, what's wrong?" Nodoka asked, very concerned.

Ranma couldn't answer through her tear soaked sobs. When she felt Akane's hand touch her shoulder, Ranma jumped away, shouting vehemently, "Don't touch me!"

"Ranma, please," Akane said with tears in her eyes.

"Please what?! This is all your fault! My life is hell now. As bad as it was before, it's now a hell of a lot worse!" Ranma yelled.

"This isn't easy for me either," Akane retorted.

Ranma clenched her fists, looking ready to punch her new spouse. "How can you say that? It is easy for you!"

Akane's eyes first went wide and then narrowed in anger, not believing her spouse would even think that this situation would be easy for her.

Before another word could be said, a mighty blow to Ranma's head sent the hysteric girl to the ground.

Everyone stared at Ukyou as she hefted her combat spatula. "Excuse me. I need to have a little talk with Ranma." She picked up the unconscious girl and left.

Something definitely wasn't right, as Ranma was crying like a girl, and Ukyou had hit Ranma, not Akane.

Nodoka shook her head, trying to clear it. "Akane, what was that all about?"

Akane sat at the dining table and sobbed lightly. "I-I think it'll be better if we wait for Ranma before we explain." She knew this was hurting her spouse, but this was in no way easy for her to deal with either.

Kasumi was at a loss. Akane seemed to be cursed and Ranma had made no move to turn back into a guy.

* * *

Ranma woke up in her and Akane's room, rubbing her head. "What did you do that for?"

"Because you were being a jackass," Ukyou remarked bitterly.

"How so?" Ranma scowled.

"You said it was easy for Akane. I have news for you, it isn't," Ukyou hissed out.

"Oh really. She's not the one who's pregnant. She's not the one who has to carry a kid around for the next nine months!" Ranma shout out.

Ukyou clenched her weapon tightly. "She's cursed now! Are you going to tell me that's easy for her?!"

Ranma deflated slightly, but not much. "Well, no. But she's got it easy compared to me. At least she was a macho chick before being cursed to turn into a guy. I got cursed to turn into a girl and I'm suppose to be a man amongst men."

"We both know better than anyone that changing ones gender isn't easy. Akane will now have to adjust to being a guy. It was hard for me to do that. I can't begin to think how hard it'll be for her because her change is more than just social," Ukyou pointed out.

"It's still easier for her. She isn't the one who's pregnant!" Ranma hissed out.

Ukyou sighed. "Tell me Ranma. What do you think would happen if it was Akane who got pregnant?"

Ranma folded her arms. "She'd blame me."

"Yeah, and she'd probably say it was easy for you too," Ukyou returned.

"Right." Ranma nodded smugly, seeing as the girl was now agreeing with her.

"But would it be that much easier for you?" Ukyou demanded.

Ranma almost said it would be, but the glare Ukyou gave her caused her to hold her tongue. She thought for a moment. "No. It wouldn't really be easier. I'd still have to help Akane through the pregnancy and raise the kid. But I'm a guy, this is worse than if she got pregnant."

"You're right, it is worse. For both of you. Akane would prefer it if she was pregnant," Ukyou told her.

"Yeah, right." Ranma huffed. "She's better off because she doesn't have to go through it."

"Is she?" Ukyou snarled. "Ranma, she was raised a girl. She was raised to be a mother. Wanting to have children is part of being a girl. Do you think she likes the idea of being a father any more than you like the idea of being a mother?"

Ranma stared at the floor. "She might."

"Look at these," Ukyou snapped.

Ranma glanced up and saw Ukyou pointing to some dolls and stuff animals. "What about them?"

"These dolls and stuff animals represent children. When Akane was a child she would treat them like she would a child." Ukyou turn her glare back at the girl. "How did Akane treat Ryoga when he was her pet pig? She was very protective of him, feed him, and pretty much babied him, didn't she?"

"Um, yeah. Now she gets the chance of being a mother without having to give birth," Ranma muttered out.

Ukyou was ready to smack Ranma with the spatula again. "Part of being a mother IS to give birth. No matter how much she cares for her child, she'll always be the father and not the mother. You may have your child call her mother, but Akane will know that's false."

"I'll always be the mother." Ranma started to cry.

Ukyou hugged her tightly, and started to cry also. The same might be said for herself.

* * *

Ukyou and Ranma returned to the dining room to find everyone trying to get Akane to tell them what happened. She just sat there, still crying lightly.

"Akane... I'm sorry for saying it's easy for you," Ranma muttered meekly.

Akane stood up and approached Ranma. "It's all right. As bad as it is for me, this is harder for you."

Ranma hugged Akane, tears in her eyes.

Genma, grumbling about having such an 'unmanly son,' dumped hot water over her. Almost everyone gasped when Ranma didn't change.

"What happened? Why didn't he turn back into a guy?" Nodoka nervously asked.

"Shall I explain it?" Akane asked, still hugging Ranma.

Ranma nodded, releasing the hug but kept holding her spouse's hand.

Akane sighed, feeling very uncomfortable with everyone's eyes one her. "Ranma won't be able to change back into a guy for about the next ten months." She closed her eyes tightly. "The reason he can't is because... he's... pregnant."

"WHAT?!" echoed throughout Nerima from a chorus of several voices.

"What do you mean Ranma is pregnant? Don't you mean you're pregnant?" Nodoka asked in disbelief.

Akane shook her head. "I wish I did mean that, but it is Ranma who's pregnant, not me."

"W-who's the father?" Genma stammered.

"I-I am," Akane answered.

"How can you be the father?" Soun demanded.

"Shampoo gave me some Instant Spring of Drowned Man as a wedding present... and... well... I used it during the honeymoon." Akane blushed deep red. "Ranma stayed in girl form long enough for conception to take place, and now he's pregnant. He can't change back until his body returns to a certain chemical balance, about a month after he gives birth."

Genma folded his arms. "Well, it wouldn't be much of a problem to solve. All Ranma has to do is get an abortion."

Ranma gritted her teeth. "As much as I want to, I can't do that. The Old Ghoul told us that getting an abortion wouldn't lift the lock on my curse. I have to give birth to be sure that I'll ever be a guy again." Ranma started to cry again, and was pulled into a comforting hug from her spouse.

Ukyou watched them, and started to cry too.

Nodoka was stunned, she wanted a grandchild, but not that way.

Genma was unnerved, his son, whom he raised to be a man amongst men, was going to be a mother.

Nabiki always had a little trouble grasping the magical events surrounding Ranma, since magic tended to avoid logic, but this took the cake. What a screwed up way to become an aunt.

Soun's mind was all mixed up, so he cried, "My little girl is going to be a father!"

Kasumi took this better than anyone, but still wanted to know something, "Akane, I thought instant spring powder was a one-shot use."

"It's supposed to be... but... for some reason... I ended up... cursed," Akane forced herself to say.

"WHAT?!" was chorused again.

Akane picked up a glass of water and dumped it on her head. Everyone gasped as they saw her grow centimeters taller. Her body became very muscular and well defined and her hair was now dark blue. Most importantly, her body was now male.

Nabiki blinked and then stared at the hunk of a sister she now had.

Soun fainted.

Everyone else just shook their head in shock, disbelief, or sympathy.

Ranma slowly got up and left for her room. No one knew what to say or do. They just sat their hearing the unrelenting rain pound on the house.

* * *

Nodoka sat in the kitchen. In her hands was a piece of paper that was rather old. Over twelve years old to be precise. On the piece of paper was an agreement that was signed and also had the hand print of a little child. This paper held the oath of ritual suicide that her son and her husband would commit if Ranma proved not to be a man amongst men.

Sometimes Nodoka wondered why she hadn't destroyed it already. Despite Ranma occasionally being a girl in body, he was still a man in spirit. Sure he had faults, but they were usually manly faults.

Nodoka started to cry. Her son, her manly son, had gotten pregnant, not his newlywed wife, but him. This was unacceptable. How could a man amongst men be a mother? This... this was just wrong.

Nodoka could correct this error. One word and Ranma would redeem himself as a man. But he would do so in a woman's body. Not only that, she would kill her grandchild. She might as well as kill her daughter-in-law too for the pain it would cause.

Nodoka shook her head. Ranma wasn't truly a man amongst men, but he was... unique. How many men are also a mother? Very few and they weren't born a man, they were only a man through surgery.

But Ranma had failed to be a man amongst men. And there were only two solutions to this situation: ritual suicide or...

Nodoka stood up and walked from the table.

Akane entered the room and asked, "Auntie Saotome, what are you doing?"

"Removing something which threatens to destroy everything I hold dear." Nodoka set the old piece of paper on fire using a stove burner. She felt an odd sort of relief as if a burden was released from her. "That was the pledge that Genma and Ranma had signed."

Akane's eyes widened in shock. "You mean you were thinking about..."

Nodoka rested her hand on daughter-in-law's shoulder. "Akane, Ranma isn't a man amongst men if he's also a mother. It makes him more than that. I am proud to call him my child, and I'm happy that I'll be a grandmother soon."

"You won't ask him to commit suicide?" Akane asked, wanting to make sure.

Nodoka looked away. "Not for this. I really don't know what Ranma could do to make me ask for him to do it now. He is my child, and I'll love him no matter what happens. Besides, if I asked him to do it and you fought against it, well, I really doubt he'd do it."

Akane nodded, tears finding familiar tracks down the sides of her face.

* * *

Ukyou sloshed her way back to her restaurant, thankful the rain was finally starting to let up. She hated how quiet it was inside her home and business. No one waiting for her, needing her. Sure there would be customers later, but they did not necessarily need her, just wanted her delicious okonomiyaki.

With a sigh she penned a message of being closed due to illness and posted it on her door. She was in no condition to serve her customers. The flu was bad enough, but soon that would give way to morning sickness.

Now what was she going to do about that? Ukyou had no particular reason to keep Ryoga's bastard child. A trip to the clinic would take care of that issue.

Glancing at the phone, Ukyou could call her father to find out what he had to say about the situation, but considering that in the nine months she had been here she had called him twice and he phoned her once, and those were more of obligation than of any need or desire. Just a wish for happy birthdays and new year. He had not asked how she was doing, only how her mission was faring. She hadn't even called her father to let him know she had failed.

Now she had a chance to get something she always wanted, a true family. To have someone she could love unconditionally as a true parent should. The main problem with that was she had no one to help her with raising a child and running a restaurant. Kicking Konatsu out of her home was a huge mistake, possibly bigger than even getting pregnant.

* * *

"What am I going to do now?" Akane muttered over some tea.

"I think you know the answer to that," Kasumi replied calmly.

Akane shook her head. "I feel so lost."

"You're scared, not lost," Kasumi corrected. "A lot will be expected of you, and the enormity of it has you justifiably worried. You still know what has to be done."

Akane pouted at her sister. "I... guess. There's still a lot I don't know about."

"You know that you need to be a good partner for Ranma, that you'll have to take care of your child," Kasumi pointed out.

"Yeah, but HOW do I do that?" Akane retorted. "I've already made so many mistakes just getting to this point. How can I do what's needed of me?"

"You start by learning from the mistakes you and others have made," Kasumi replied in a reassuring tone.

"If it was easy to do that, I'd know how to cook already," Akane muttered.

Kasumi giggled a little. "Well, you are learning. Maybe not as fast as you wanted, but your cooking has improved immensely from where it was a year ago."

"Maybe..." Akane sighed. "It's still not good enough. How were you able to take over the kitchen and cook for us yet I can barely make anything?"

Kasumi shook her head. "You forget those first meals were all chicken stir fry. It was the only thing that mother had a chance to teach me. I learned how to cook other meals as I went along. And when I tried to make something new, I had a back-up meal planned in case I messed it up."

Akane blinked. "You did?"

"My first attempt at curry ate the stirring spoon," Kasumi recalled sheepishly.

The image of Kasumi holding a stump of spoon just seemed so ridiculous, Akane couldn't help but laugh, nor could the person listening in.

Kasumi turned toward the hallway. "It's not nice to eavesdrop."

Ranma tenderly stepped into the room. "Sorry. Didn't exactly mean to listen in. It's just..."

"Just what?" Akane coaxed.

Ranma shrugged. "I... Well, you were saying a lot of the things I've wanted to."

Kasumi nodded. "Neither of you are alone in this. Remember you always have each other and the rest of your families."

* * *

Nabiki was out window shopping. She had to get out of her house. It felt like someone had died, an experience she knew very well. What she really wanted was a distraction to keep her from thinking about the insanity her new sibling had once again brought into her life.

"Tendo Nabiki, I would have words with you," Kuno announced.

Nabiki turned and smirked at him. "Sure. Let's talk over lunch."

"You shall be the one to pay the bill," Kuno countered.

Nabiki wagged her finger. "You know my time doesn't come cheaply."

Kuno folded his arms. "Ah, but in this you are the one who owes me."

"And how do you figure that?" Nabiki returned.

"Without lies, deceit or half-truths..." Kuno paused dramatically. "I want you to tell me exactly who the pigtailed girl truly is."

Nabiki gazed at her classmate. His tone suggested he very well knew the answer to his question already. "Are you finally able to accept the truth that's been in front of you the entire time?"

"You still have not answered my question," Kuno insisted.

"Your beloved pigtailed girl is Ranma. Always has been. You even wrote down the name when HE fought your sister in rhythmic gymnastics. You've even hugged him when he transformed. You've claimed Ranma has used mind control magic and yet refused to accept the real magic of the curse that afflicts your hated foe and have seen in actions multiple times," Nabiki shot at him, a bit surprised he held no immediate reaction to her words. "It's not my fault you've got the hots for a guy who is sometimes a girl. You wouldn't accept the truth. I tried to explain it, for free no less, and you warped it to how you wanted to see it."

"And what do you have to say about all the money I have given you in the pursuit of a faux girl?" Kuno growled.

"You didn't have to buy the photos or information. You were the one that wanted them, I merely let you acquire them," Nabiki retorted.

Kuno took a threatening step forward. "Yet you still knowing fed the misconceptions I held."

"I did nothing of the sort." Nabiki poked her classmate's chest. "You kept deluding yourself that Akane AND Ranma had feelings for you. Convinced yourself that Ranma had some sort of mind control over 'himself' and a girl who was promised to be his wife when they were babies. You were the one who wouldn't let it go."

Kuno took a step back and clenched his fists. "How did Saotome acquire his curse?"

Nabiki smirked, taking the change in subject as a small victory. "There are set of magical pools in China called the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo. Fall into a spring and take the form of whatever drowned in it. Ranma fell into Spring of Drowned Girl, while his father landed in a panda one. There are over a hundred springs, each with their own cursed form. Hot water offers a temporary cure, but only until exposed to cold water."

"How was Saotome Akane cursed?" Kuno questioned.

Nabiki blinked. "How do you know about that?"

"You could say Ranma ran into me this morning," Kuno replied.

"There's a stupid company that made powdered instant spring water that's supposed to be a one-shot use and my stupid sister decided to see what it was like to be a guy, only the curse stuck and she knocked up her husband," Nabiki informed bitterly.

Kuno nodded. "I understand." He turned and began to walk away. "While I hold no sympathy for Saotome for what has befallen him, he is now paying for his part in the deception. You, however, I have not forgiven."

Nabiki folded her arms defiantly. "You know, I should thank Ranma. A year ago if you had chased me as you did him and my sister, I would've let you catch me. Now that I know how much of a blind idiot you really are, I've lost all interest."

* * *

Genma and Soun played shogi well into the night. Both knew their trouble thoughts would not allow them to sleep peacefully tonight.

If Akane had returned with news that she was pregnant, they'd be extremely happy and would currently be in a drunken slumber. But the fact it was Ranma who was pregnant made them very uneasy. They'd get the heir to the school they wanted, but not exactly by who they wanted.

"You know, Saotome, a long time ago I wished for a manly child to father strong children and continue the arts. When I had all girls... I thought the wish wasn't going to be granted." Soun made a move in the game, and started crying. "I never thought that I had to say male child or son."

Genma shook his head, and said the only thing he could think of, "Be carefully what you wish for, it might come true."

* * *

Author's Notes:

Really had not planned to add so much to these early chapters and scenes. Updates will now be slower as I've got more to write on these and I have other distractions (my new Xbox and Skyrim). I will be combining the remaining scenes into two chapters with some new material. I'm not sure when or if I'll get beyond that point.


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